I think adding crown molding, beefier base boards and nicer window and door trim to most builder basic homes is a non-trendy way to improve the appearance of the home. The style of moldings should be consistent with the style of the house, though, and in proportion to the ceiling height. I think the exception might be modernist style homes where that sort of adornment is generally eschewed.

Fun - I agree about what you just said. I'm think beyond that maybe just have nicer/different pieces in general - vanities, mirrors, furniture.

I live in a 1920s house that was built with crown molding, tall baseboards and wood floors.` And I'm thankful that no one decided that was outdated and removed all of those features (although they did cover the wood floor with walt to wall carpet!). I also wonder 10 or 15 years from now if people will be putting back up the walls that were torn down for "open concept" in houses that were not built with that in mind. I do remember when popcorn ceilings and textured walls were all the rage. Now everyone is doing away with them. Wasn't most of that in the 80s and 90s? Are cycles 20 or 25 years?

I agree with what Fun2BHere said. I really do not get the shiplap trend, I just don't.

I won't even put wallpaper back up on our walls. I've taken it off once and not doing that again.

At the turn of this century my MIL built a standard suburban ranch. She put in solid core raised panel doors with beautifully wide trim. They were gorgeous, but I felt they added a heaviness to the home the hallway sizes didn't balance. I also think they begged for matching crown molding which she did not do, and again I don't think was warranted in her home's size/style. Upgrades are one thing but they need to be tempered as is being suggested. You won't turn a common home into a show case just because you went over board on expensive trims. We recently redid bathrooms. Removed the acrylic shower/tub surrounds and tiled. A subtle upgrade but not one anyone will ever know wasn't that way all along. Ship lap is not an upgrade, like wall paper it is a decorating preference and I am with you blfenton I will NEVER go back there!! Flooring is very much a preference trend that changes every 25 years or so. Chances are good all those who are putting in hard wood floors; the buyer after you is going to go wall to wall carpet as soon as they move in. I keep thinking there was a reason wall to wall was invented, hard/cold/acoustics are the reasons I would never put in a wood floor. Just visiting my sister's home about drives me insane it is soo LOUD. I think it was a good thing to lose the avocado tub/toilet but if we had put in a jetted tub and sold gold fixtures (LOL no room) it would have look very out of place.

ditto: fun2bhere and jn3344

I kept seeing the term shiplap so I finally googled it. I feel so out of it.

Other than in photos I don't believe I have seen it in real life.

It kind of reminds me of ye ole paneled family rooms or basement (that was vertical not horizontal) back in the day. It was considered a nice feature but you are right re the 25 years or so because in my experience everyone I know who had it ended up ripping it out and just sheet rocking or painting it. I know that wallpaper has fallen off in popularity but I don't really consider it like shiplap. It;s way too classic.

I think hardwood floors will always be a nice feature (and the allergy factor rules) but I agree that people will be covering them up in another 10 or so years. Wall to wall be new and fresh again. I agree Arcy!

We live near the beach and I started seeing shiplap about 10 years ago. I think it may be a more lasting trend around here but eventually, because it is being overused, people will consider it dated.

IMO, replacing builder grade doors and hardware will make a big impact that won't be considered trendy or dated. As long as you don't do sliding barn doors :)

I don't think crown moulding can ever not be an improvement.

I agree with fun that upgraded, beefier casings around doorways and windows, baseboards and crown moulding go a long way toward enhancing a home's presence.

My street is cookie-cutter builder basic starter homes. We're part of a HOA of larger homes and executive homes that grew out of a Street of Dreams from the 1980s. Nicest neighborhood in this city imo. Our street was the last to be developed in 1999, and I think the developer bought all the remaining dated hardware, lighting, and oak cabinets for cheap from a building supply store. It's mainly young professionals, and they move out after five years without changing a thing. Home decorating and improvements just aren't a priority. They're focused on their careers and raising young children.

So we're a little different--retired, kids are raised, and we like doing home inprovements. My home is traditional but I don't think wainscoting works in this home. The walls are textured and the corners are bull-nosed. I'm not ripping out carpet to put in hardwood, but we do have all new carpetting. I'm not changing out the interior doors and adding new molding in every room. I'm too lazy to change out all the shiny brass doorknobs. But we needed window coverings, so we added white plantation shutters downstairs and Hunter Douglas honeycomb shades upstairs. The kitchen didn't function so we put in a new one. The guest bath had a child sized vanity, so we changed the vanity, sink, faucet, and lighting and replaced the vinyl floor with LVT. Bought custom drapes for our patio door and a new chandelier. My yard is fully landscaped. Anyone who buys this home compared to my neighbors' will be very lucky.

We still need to remodel the master bath and will replace everything. The powder room has a pedestal sink, and we thought of upgrading it to a small vanity, but so far we've only changed the lighting and faucet. We want a new front door but the installers are all too busy with new construction to bother with us.

But I'm just decorating a house. You are creating a home for your family. I think you'll get a lot of bang for your buck with the LR built-in you discussed last year, if that plan is still on. You did a beautiful job on your kitchen. Have you done any upgrades to your bathrooms?

I really think adding the right size crown moulding upgrades most any house. You get a lot of bang for your buck, and it really can be a diy project if you have a miter saw.

Half of our house has tile flooring and the other half has wall to wall carpeting. Tile or wood flooring gives you the opportunity to have beautiful Oriental or modern rugs which really add quality to a home and cut down on the noise without having too many of them around. I see it as the best of both worlds.

One must always remember that it's never a good idea to over-build your house or your neighborhood. A little crown molding (not the 12" layers of the stuff) will never be dated or inappropriate. But shiplap is ridiculous in most houses as are those sliding inside barn doors.

If I had bought a house I intended to live in for 20-30 years, I might upgrade to solid wood doors as living there would mean I got my money's worth for them, but I'd also know no one will pay a nickel more for my house.

Now if one buys the cheapest house on the bock (we did 32 years ago!), then it's worth spending some money on. I spoke with a realtor who knew our neighborhood very well every time we did something major. She always said, "You can't over-build this neighborhood, but you could over-build your house". Thus I did not put in a SubZero refrigerator but got a free-standing counter-depth one instead. But we have added moldings and in our neighborhood, people expect hardwood floors (the real thing - finished onsite) in kitchens and all rooms other than baths. We've made our house what we want it - had the solid brass doorknobs taken off and polished and lacquered, added solid brass hinges in some places, added crown molding in several rooms, updated bathrooms but not the big marble/jacuzzi thing, and now I'm redoing my kitchen. Since I'm 72, I'm just making it look fresh and up-to-date with new cabinets, but I'm not spending $50-60,000 on a kitchen that may well be torn out when I eventually have to give up my house - I'm way too old to get my money's worth of enjoyment out of $$$$$ upgrades.

Landscaping for curb appeal is always good - it will sell a house very quickly, and it's so much more enjoyable to live in a house with a nice garden, both front and back. But too much garden is a turn-off for resale.

In my neighborhood, high quality new windows are a good thing, architectural shingles for a new roof is expected (and a roof vent cap), in-ground sprinklers appeal to double-income families with little time for watering yards and shrubs, and being in "tornado alley", a whole house generator is always appealing to buyers (and to me!).

Just look at your neighborhood and go online and see what's for sale and how it looks inside.

Some people will say, oh it's only a builder home, I don't want to sink any money into it, but I think it's important to moderatly upgrade a builder home in most cases. Usually a builder home is only the first of at least a couple of homes a family will move into. It not only improves the look of the house while you're living there but if the right choices are made, it also improves the sellability and/or value of the home when you sell.

Trim work, new lighting fixtures and wood flooring all seem like reasonable upgrades that can really add to a home's overall feel. Wood flooring can be pricey sure, but it's so worth it!

Beadboard has been around for years, and I'm sure if you were to google it, there would have been a purpose for it, not only a decorating feature. Enhancing moldings/trims, as well as installing solid wood doors is always a plus, but if you were to compare the workmanship vs what it would be worth on the resale market, there would be very little consideration given. Wood floors, even the engineered variety, always add value and would be considered an upgrade. Tile is going by the wayside in new home builds, except in bathrooms/laundry rooms.

Do the things that are not expensive to do but will add visual "value". These are the things that don't cost a lot but make the house look and feel better. As mentioned, things like solid core doors (doesn't have to be wood!), beefier moldings that fit the style of house around doors and windows and crown moldings. Luxury Vinyl Tile is a wonderful substitute for wood floors and is a better choice than carpeting in most cases nowadays. Then there are the small things like kitchen knobs or handles, a pretty backsplash and especially paint.

However shiplap, barn doors, wood ceramic tile and gray all are trends. (So is an all white kitchen for that matter.)

We have a 1965 split level with original wood floors throughout. We have added crown moulding to the main living areas (not the bedrooms) and installed higher floor trim (all clean lines, nothing fancy). We also replaced the flat doors with crisp white six panel doors and added new light fixtures and new brushed nickel door knobs. Another improvement I'd like to make is to replace the spindles (balusters?) on the blah oak railings with some sort of metal. Fortunately our bathrooms are all tile so I do agree that replacing acrylic tubs and showers and vinyl floors with tile is a good upgrade if you have more money to spend, but a lot of the other little things can be done economically.

Before we remodeled my house was similar to your's. No matter how pretty I had it inside, there was one thing missing. Architectural detail. We installed plantation shutters and they made all the difference in the world. Of course shutters aren't technically architectural detail, but they added character to the room.

Since they were custom, when we added-on we built a window the exact same size as the exterior wall window that was coming down. The shutter people matched the new shutters to the original.

The nice thing about wood shutters is I notice them. I don't notice crown moulding.

And when you do get wood floors, along with the shutters you're house will be perfect! lol

DD2 bought a mid-90s builder grade home about 9 years ago (links lead to before/after pictures, if you're interested), and immediately updated with handscraped hardwood flooring, crown wherever it wasn't, made opening from master bedroom to sitting area
larger, changed interior doorknobs and entrance sets, painted house and shutters (changing colors). She also changed
some light fixtures at that time, and has since changed them all. The
last few years she has gutted the master bath, repainted the kitchen cabinets GW/Houzz thread here)
and added stone steps in the backyard. DD2 won't add/gut anything else
but she recently redecorated the master to calm colors. Once she gets
art framed I will share in a thread.

I wouldn't fall into the
current trends of B&B or shiplap unless it goes with your house,
and/or you live on water or a woodsy area where it is appropriate.
Paint and new flooring (or sand/stain) work wonders. Update bathroom
cabinets, toilets, sinks and/or faucets. Same with new kitchen faucet.
If there is a laundry room, make it more than just a utilitarian looking
space (paint cabinets, wallpaper or paint, add art and a rug). Good luck with your projects.

Cpartist, there's nothing trendy about white kitchens. They've been around forever.

CindyMac -- I agree WHITE kitchens have been around "forever" but the 2010 era version of them has not and I also feel that the current white kitchen is trendy -- all have a BIG island with BIG pendants hanging over them, a farmhouse sink . . . . In fact, I've seen so many of them lately that I am getting rather bored with them -- the excitement of the first few has definitely worn off.

I totally agree with improving baseboards, crown, trim around windows, wood flooring, doorknobs (and cabinet hardware for that matter), lights, bathroom fixtures, etc. Wood floors are not and will never be a trend. They are timeless. Are their people who prefer carpet or a mix, certainly. I know what Cpartist means about white kitchens being trendy. For a time, almost every new house would have a white kitchen. Now, you are not seeing that as much. That is interesting Patty, about tile not being seen as much in new builds in your area.

We just became landlords of a house built about 50 years ago. Good built house with nice features. We did most of the basic upgrades that I just mentioned. Pulled up carpet as wood floors were underneath. We did paint paneling in an upstairs den - thought of adding beadboard instead but at this point, it looks really nice painted. We will reconsider in a few years when we sell the house. I will second whoever mentioned luxury vinyl flooring above. We opted to go with this in the kitchen and bathrooms. I liked it so much that we may consider this in our bathrooms in the near future (our house is 20 years old, replacing bathroom flooring needs to be considered).

I like the shiplap walls in some houses but I do feel it and the board and batten are a bit trendy. Beadboard, especially in old homes and cottages is not outdated or trendy.

Two things that really stand out to me as "builders grade" is trim, especially no trim around windows and inexpensive "blah" light fixtures. Both can add so much to a room/house.

Regarding popcorn ceilings and textured walls when they first came on the scene, I felt it was a cheap way to refinish walls and ceilings -- you didn't have to be as perfect as you did when the walls/ceilings were smooth!

Patty, I tend to disagree that the trim and millwork doesn't add value, it absolutely did for us. When we had our house appraised last December, the appraiser told me because of the upgrades we did, new millwork, hardwood floors, new fixtures it would influence the comps he'd use to derive at a value. If you had two homes identical to each other for sale in a sub, one updated, one not, even though the price will be higher for the one that is updated, a buyer is still typically going to like that house over the one without updates even if they have to pay more for it. That was my experience when I was a realtor.

I also disagree with the statements from Cpartist that white kitchens and wood tiles are trends, not so. White kitchens have been around long enough to be considered classic, maybe the cabinet styles have changed but white kitchens have been around for many many decades. And wood tiles may be relatively new but I think the reason they are vital is because they offer a lot of people who live in humid climates a viable option to hardwood. I suspect the product will only improve in time and will never fade in popularity.

Martha, my 2008 white kitchen doesn't have an island, big pendants, or a farmhouse sink.

The new kitchen trend I don't care for are massive light fixtures that look like they would be a nightmare to keep clean.

CindyMac -- or chandeliers -- crystal chandeliers -- for goodness sake there is "grease air" in a kitchen . . . . can you imagine keeping that chandelier clean!

Sigh!

Trends come and go, quality can date. You make choices for the time you're living in a home. Crown moulding is liked by many and not by others. Everything depends on personal taste and your budget at the time of a build or remodel.

I grew up in a home that was ship-lap throughout. The house was built in 1902. when my parents eventually sold the new owners removed all the timber and put in plasterboard and crown moulding. Likely one day, another owners will reinstate some period and original features to some extent. Our personal tastes will always play a big part on the decisions we make in creating a home.

Martha – I wonder that too about the open concept. I can’t get on board with it and prefer some
room separation.

Sheilaaus - Oh yeah, sounds like shiplap, in most applications, is the paneled rooms of yesterday.

D_gw – Ah yes, sliding barn doors. I think they look out of place almost
everywhere and don’t understand the appeal.

Mayflowers – Oddly, I don’t mind our builder brass
doorknobs. I'm guessing because they're a warm finish. I’m not even sure what I
would change them too if it were a priority.
I really enjoy seeing nickel & chrome in other homes, but I can’t
seem to bring myself to use it in the house unless it’s in a bathroom or my
kitchen faucet. I’d have to look at a
bunch of photos if I were going to make the change.

I think I would like to install some shutters at some
point. I always think they look
nice.

Thanks about the kitchen.
I’m still happy with it and pleased that the stain still looks as good as it did the day I finished. Oh we’re
definitely going to be following through with the living room plan. DH is on board and I have a picture in my head how it will look when finished. I think the impact will be huge. I think hardwood will make a large impact
too. There is so many different types of
flooring in this house it looks like a patchwork quilt. It really breaks up the visual flow. I like how carpet feels under my feet and I
enjoy vacuuming (strange I know), but think the same mid tone brown, oak hardwood throughout the house except the bathrooms, will be an improvement.

No upgrades to the bathrooms yet. I’ve been thinking on and off about those for
a few months now and how to improve. I’d
at least like to change the vanity in the main bathroom to something nicer, but
I’m not impressed with the selection I saw at Lowes or Home Depot. I’d prefer to install myself for cost savings
reasons and believe I could handle it.
Something for possibly next year when I get started on projects
again. I’m assuming I could replace just
the cultured vanity top. That comes off,
right? The bathrooms and my bedroom all have
a similar look. I still like certain
things about them, but think they could use a freshening up and something
slightly less heavy. I know messing with
one will domino the rest. Part of the
problem is it takes me a long time to figure out what I actually want to use –
fabrics and what not. Maybe I’ll
post some pics sometime and ask for suggestions.

Ramble, ramble.

Oakley – I agree with you on noticing shutters more than
crown moulding in most cases. I think
shutters are always a nice visual improvement.

I dislike the 2” white blinds I have in the LR. Being such a wide window it's....fine. It was in the budget and serves the purpose of blocking the morning
sun from destroying the furniture anymore, but I’d like to eventually replace
with something nicer.

Allison - Thanks for the link! I don't believe B&B & shiplap goes with my home.

I enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts. I agree about the changes suggested and it
seems many agree that this current add trim to any and every wall thing is a
trend that many will probably later regret.

What do you think is an appropriate base and crown
moulding height for a home with 8’ ceilings?
Our base is definitely small at 3.5” and the crown is, I think, 3-5/8”. I think larger than 5” base would look odd
and maybe that’s even too large.

One case where crown moulding is not an improvement is when it is installed against "popcorn" ceilings. I've seen it done. All it does is highlight a bad feature of the room, and the smooth moulding against the "popcorn" texture makes the ceiling look even uglier.

Upgrades on builder grade depends on the style of home. One thing that will make a HUGE difference with any style is quality cabinets/cabinetry and quality plumbing fixtures like faucets and such. If you can't afford all new windows and doors pick replacements for most noticeable areas. Put in a quality front door. If you have sliders in living areas to the outdoors put quality sliders there. Sometimes you have to stay within a certain improvement dollar amount if you are not sure how long you will be there. Don't want to be bottom up. If you plan on staying till the day you die go for whatever you want.

We have 8' ceilings. Crown is 5". Baseboard is 5.5" ... 7" in the addition. Had intended for it to match the original baseboard, but the carpenter added a trim piece. When I saw it I sort of liked it, so didn't bother requesting a do-over. We had enough of those as it was.

Cindy what size is the trim around your windows? I'm guessing if we were to install larger base at some point, it will look strange if the size of the crown moulding doesn't go larger as well. ? I need to search some photos. I know some people add trim pieces to the bottom of their crown to make it appear larger. Is that an incorrect thing to do or just a preference?

We've spent a lot to make our builder grade 1970 tract house into something more interesting. We installed shiplap (nickel spaced planking, as my contractor called it) and the old-fashioned Pickwick paneling in our family room just last year. Hardwood flooring, new kitchen, new bath, tile, larger windows, wide trim & baseboards, solid doors, nicer hardware, new better quality roof & siding, attractive interior & exterior lighting, modern utilities-- all done over 20 years. We are beyond caring about resale at this point, and we get much enjoyment out of the changes we have made. The larger windows are my favorite improvement because they bring the outdoors in, connect the house to the land, & bring in wonderful light in the drear of winter. The changes were influenced by our location (rustic, historic Connecticut) and the old New England country house look that Pottery Barn marketed in the late 90s/early 2000s.

And it's all beginning to feel dated. I still like it a lot, but I've noticed the younger moms in the neighborhood are upgrading their houses in a sleeker style: more spit & shine & fine finishes; polished marble, crystal, nickel instead of matte & rusticated. The interiors would look equally fitting in any upscale urban condo or any American suburb in any part of the country.

What's even more interesting are the millenial contemporaries of my grown kids. They're marrying, just starting families. They are buying the post-war suburban boxes that we rejected as characterless & cookie cutter. Instead of decrying the lack of architectural features, they are running with that spare look -- neutrals on the walls, modern "statement" light fixtures, clean-lined furniture, edgy & ethnic art. But no heavy moulding, nothing traditional, & not much pattern. It all looks so fresh and stylish. My daughter-in-law has transformed their recently purchased 60s high ranch from a mouseburger into a house with youthful flair -- spare, clean, modern, cool.

So back to the original question about upgrading builder grade housing with trendy details: it's human nature to want to feather the nest to one's own liking, and style shifts are unavoidable. I'm thinking now that it doesn't matter really because the next owners will change it to their own tastes anyway.

You mentioned the possibility of replacing the vanity top, but not the cabinet. A piece of furniture, such as a dresser, table, or desk would make a great vanity, especially if purchased at an antique or consignment store for a lot less than a new bathroom vanity. It can be refinished, painted, or left with the original 'patina'. Just a thought for future reference.

Here's a links to trims/moldings you may find useful.......

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/131871095314500417/

Window trim is 4" wide.

When dh redid our original bath he used a 2" crown. It's really too small. When we added the 5" crown to other rooms we realized that's what the bathroom needs too. If we ever redo that bath, we'll replace with 5".

Crown molding, chair rails, are upgrades, that attract most buyers. They add character to a home, and increase its value. These features add the finishing touch to a rm, and are sought after by most buyers today. This is not a trend, buyers have been looking for these features for at least 30+ yrs. These features, along with wood floors, master bathrooms, good windows and doors will stand the test of time. It is only when a buyer wants "modern" instead of traditional decor, when these features are not an added value. Most buyers want a traditional decor, modern is a lot harder to sell, because the pool of buyers is smaller. It is a mistake to not add these when possible, because so many buyers are willing to pay extra $ for them.

If a 1902 house had shiplap interior siding, you can bet that it was hung with muslin fabric and then wallpaper, unless the family was extremely poor, it was not a year-round dwelling, or it was a farm outbuilding.

Sombreuil -- I had not heard of shiplap until Fixer Upper which is filmed in Texas which is a warmer climate than some. So I would assume that those houses were year round houses for almost all of the older ones on that show have the ship lap. Nice to know that it was muslin and then wallpaper because there is definitely something always over the shiplap on that show.

I would disagree architectural features add VALUE. They add character, beauty and ascetics but if a pool of buyers is trying to get in on a bottom drawer budget and two homes side by side same sq footage, same floor plan they will GLADLY purchase the "plain" home now and add the rest later. They may well offer what the plain jane home is listed at, because in the end it is location and square footage that add REAL value to a home, and they know it. Pretty is remembered and sought after, but we can afford only as much as in our bank account!!

Upgrades without context, which is often how they are applied. is not necessarily the right thing to do. And many buyers will respond to it because they are attracted to shiny new objects.

A house I made an offer in in 2011 recently came on the market. One of the previous owners had owned it from 1810 until the 1920s. One from 1931 until 2011. Unchanged floorplan, many original details, changes that were made tread lightly on the original house. Yes, the bathroom and kitchen which had been added on to the original house at the back were awkward.

But the most recent owners essentially gutted it, and aside from some original floors and a mantlepiece, it is chock full of 5 inch crown molding, chair rail, marble in the bathrooms, and all sorts of things it never ever had. Ruined, completely ruined. It could have been much worse, yes. Buyers will love it because it looks just like Houzz and Pinterest inside.

I know that my way of thinking about crown molding (which I love) is not the norm. To my way of thinking, crown molding does not belong in all houses, it doesn't look right in ranch homes, for example.

Walnut, I so agree with your observation regarding crown moulding. It is a lovely detail/enhancement in most homes, but not every style of home. We had a condo in florida with 14 foot ceilings with slopes. I just was not feeling crown moulding with slopes, though many of our neighbors thought it was a must!

And I live in a 1920s house with ORIGINAL crown -- in the living room, dining room and the hall that leads upstairs . . . and that is all! Those were the public rooms -- and so you needed to show off -- no crown in the kitchen (a food factory) and no crown in the bedrooms upstairs (they ere for family) And we chose not to add crown to those upstairs rooms because it wasn't "original".

Oh, palimpsest, that makes me so sad about that lovely old house. I know you don't want an 1810 bath or kitchen . . . but to change the whole house to what every new house looks like -- how sad!

Not sure if this is behind a paywall or not, but this WSJ article on the trend to renovate a frumpy home into a sleek contemporary is an interesting read:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-hot-housing-market-drives-pricey-home-facelifts-1462456812